Weight Training to Enhance Running
Whether you are young or old, heavy or lean, a long-distance runner or a sprinter, you will benefit from weight training, also known as strength training. The increase in lean muscle mass that results from strength training is key to overall strength and to your body's ability to burn calories. This is because muscle cells require more energy (and also burn more calories) than fat cells.
After the age of 30, people's muscle mass gradually begins to diminish. As this occurs, people notice that they can no longer eat all they used to without gaining body fat. You may weigh less at age 45 than you did at 35, but body-composition testing might indicate that you are carrying more body fat than at a younger age. Incorporating strength training three times or so per week in one's personal schedule can slow this process considerably.
If you have any medical problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure, or if you are over 40, see your doctor before beginning strength training. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome or any other upper extremity physical problem, you should also consult your physician prior to beginning a strength training program.
Overall fitness requires more than just cardiovascular fitness. A balance of endurance, strength, and flexibility must be achieved. The most often recognized components of fitness include:
Muscular fitness, strength, and endurance
Flexibility
Cardiovascular endurance
Balanced nutrition
Body composition
The last item, body composition, acts as a guide to how your body is doing overall, as it takes into account the percentages of fat, bone, and muscle in the body giving the greatest overall assessment. It is not a pure component of fitness. Although running is one of the best cardiovascular activities, other than strengthening a few specific muscles and rapidly burning a lot of calories, it does not fulfill many of the other criteria of overall fitness. That is why weight training is essential to your overall health.
Upper Body Benefits of Weight Training
A strong upper body enables a runner to maintain form late in a marathon or a long run. Additionally, upper body strength reduces fatigue and stiffness in the arms, shoulders, and neck areas. Strong arms and shoulders are helpful in propelling a runner uphill. Finally, legs move only as fast as the arm swings. Thus, a runner with a strong upper body runs faster and more efficiently.
Leg Benefits of Weight Training
Running creates a muscular imbalance in the legs. Through running, one's hamstrings and calf muscles develop at a faster rate than the quadriceps and shins. Weight training helps address this imbalance. Additionally, strong quadriceps and hips help protect these areas from a variety of injuries. Strong legs also offer protection from the possibility of injury when running fast downhill.
Other Benefits of Weight Training
Weight training also helps protect bones. This is an important benefit, particularly for women, because decreased estrogen production causes bone demineralization, which in turn increases the risk of osteoporosis and stress fractures. The gentle pulling action of muscles on bone that happens during weight training facilitates bone regeneration.
Weight training may also help prevent life-threatening illnesses. Some studies show that strength training seems to reduce the risk factors for adult onset diabetes as well as heart disease.
